•TheBrandAudit

store near you. Johnson & Johnson
was already a heavyweight in this
business with Clean & Clear, when
Neutrogena, with its dermatology
heritage and base of oily skin products, launched its major Rapid Clear
line of products not too long ago.
What a great benefit name, plus a
promise of instant gratification. Now,
Neutrogena has added Rapid Clear
Fight & Fade, to create a new positioning segment, “fading of acne
marks/scars” and has named the category to boot! Bravo Neutrogena!
These audits present the second highest scores (published or private
audits) that we’ve ever recorded for
both THEBRANDAUDIT and THEADAUDIT.
Caveat. A great ad/claim that is not
perceived by the consumer, is the
worst thing a brand can do, (see

HE

BRANDAUDIT report on Kinerase in
the October 2008 issue. For a com-

plete list of more than 50 published
scores, just drop me a line at
suzanne@graysonassociates.com.)
While one can learn from the mistakes of others, it’s even better to discover what works—there are examples galore in both of these Fight &
Fade audits.

A Winning Ad

First, let’s look at THEBRANDAUDIT
scores whose high numbers are due
to the new added-benefit segment—
fading acne marks. Neutrogena
uncovered a previously ignored/
undiscovered consumer need, and created a new sub-category and ultimate
end benefit—and named it, 2-in-1
Fight & Fade. And, the name is clearly defined on the package. The ad,
while it lost a few points for being a
bit busy/screaming, is virtually perfect in every other way, with a 94. 41

score, (did you notice that the word
“Fade” actually fades?). Headline is a
stopper with a clear benefit. Then,
there’s both real and psychological
targeting with the (consumer) quote,
“I don’t know what’s worse, embarrassing breakouts or the marks they
leave behind.” Add a demo, plus visual support for permission-to-believe
the fight and fade news/claim. Note
that the before and after photo has a
disclaimer, “dramatization of typical
results,” but the consumer will perceive it to be “her” benefit. The sign-off is—“The one and only 2-in-one of
its kind!” This ad is a case study for
anyone interested in creating powerful ads. It is powerful for its communication values, and not because it is
so strong in its presentation. The lesson here is: dig/dig/dig for the final/
final/final end benefit, real and/or
imagined for success in positioning.